James Smith
William and Edna Macaleer Professor of Engineering and Applied Science
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Office: C319G E-Quad
Phone: 609-258-4615
Interdisciplinary Research Area: Energy and Environment
Research Area: Hydrology, hydraulics and hydrometeorology of extreme floods; development of technologies for measuring rainfall from weather radar; stochastic modeling of the space-time structure of rainfall and microphysical studies of extreme rainfall from organized systems of thunderstorms; examined the heterogeneity of hydrologic response in urbanizing watersheds; the stability of the channel-floodplain system in urban drainage networks and the hydraulics of extreme floods in urban rivers
Areas of Impact
Energy and Environment
Students and faculty in every engineering department bring their expertise to bear on securing our energy and environmental future. Much of this work comes together through the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, which supports teaching and research in sustainable energy-technology development, energy efficiency, and environmental protection and remediation.
The Future Metropolis
The world's metropolitan regions house over 50 percent of the world population, consume about 75 percent of worldwide energy, and emit about 80 percent of greenhouse gasses. By 2050, they will house about 70 percent of all people. Princeton engineers bring together expertise in the environment, infrastructure, climate, data science, sensors, privacy, security, public policy, and many other fields to make cities, towns and suburbs resilient and enjoyable places for people to flourish sustainably.
Primary affiliation
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil and environmental engineering research at Princeton addresses fundamental questions associated with the built environment, the natural environment, and interactions between the two. Focus areas include design of civil engineering systems; water resources and the hydrologic cycle, civil engineering materials, environmental and structural monitoring; air quality and water quality; urban environments, including smart cities; the impacts of climate change on water resources and natural hazards; impacts of energy technology on the environment; and structural art and design.
